Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Kicks off 15th Anniversary Celebration at Faire on the Square

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For 15 years the Watertown Community Foundation has given money and organized volunteer events to help the community, and Saturday the group will hold a celebration at the Town’s biggest gathering of the year — the Faire on the Square. As in the past, the Foundation will have a booth at the Faire, but this year there will be even more activities, and prizes for lucky raffle winners, said WCF Executive Director Jan Singer. She hopes to see some familiar faces, and hopefully some new ones. “We’ve been around for 15 years and for some we are still a well kept secret. We don’t want to be,” Singer said.

Schools

13 WHS Students Get Summer Internships Through Watertown Community Foundation

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The Watertown Community Foundation provided the following piece:

The days of lolling at the town pool are just a memory for this year’s Watertown High School internship awardees. No sooner had school ended than students began rolling up their sleeves to:
• dig in the community gardens
• teach acting skills to youngsters
• learn the legal profession
• perfect their presentation skills
• spend one-on-one time with seniors
• measure trees in town
• greet hospital patients and their families

In 2015, when the Watertown Community Foundation and the Watertown High School Guidance Department launched this unique summer internship program for our town’s high school-age students, we had no idea how quickly it would grow! From just five students in 2015, it has nearly tripled to a record 13 students in the program this summer. Watertown students find an internship that can provide them with meaningful work experience. They commit to working 120 hours over the course of the summer and are paid a stipend at the end of the work experience.

Around Town

Dozens of Groups Awarded Grants from Watertown Community Foundation

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The Watertown Community Foundation provided the following announcement:

Watertown Community Foundation held its annual spring grant awards evening at the Mosesian Center for the Arts on Thursday June 7. The following grants were
awarded in two categories:Program Grants awards grants designed to help organizations that serve Watertown, develop new or continue existing programs with an educational focus (broadly defined). These are programs that operate outside of the Watertown’s public schools. Charles River Conservancy — Conservancy Volunteers Program
The Charles River Conservancy supports the Conservancy Volunteer’s programs efforts in the Charles River Parklands in Watertown. The Plumbing Museum — Comedy Play Fest at the Plumbing Museum
The Plumbing Museum will present a program of short plays inspired by materials in the Plumbing Museum and bring theater to new audiences in an unexpected venue.

Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Merging with Watertown Education Foundation

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation and the Watertown Educational Foundation joined forces and cemented their two-year school grant partnership with a merger of the organizations in February 2018. Together, they combine over forty years of fundraising and grant making to the Watertown Public Schools. This official unification provides the Watertown school community a consolidated source of support for innovative educational programs and activities. The merged organization will continue to be known as the Watertown Community Foundation and the President of the Watertown Educational Foundation, Elaina Griffith, joined the board of the Watertown Community Foundation. “For the past two years, the Community Foundation and the Educational Foundation have run a combined school grants program.

Charity

See Photos from the Fifth Annual Watertown Helps Out Day of Service

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Three hundred people came out on Saturday to volunteer at 22 locations during the fifth annual Watertown Helps Out! State Sen. Will Brownsberger and State Rep. Jonathan Hecht helped kick off Watertown’s annual townwide day of service at Hosmer Elementary School, then people went to work on their project. Community non-profits identify projects they need done. This year five new projects were added. The projects included gardening and yard work, assembling raised beds, cleaning trash from bicycle paths and parks or washing furniture in a community center.

Charity

It’s Not Too Late to Sign Up for the Watertown Helps Out Day of Service

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There’s still time to sign up to volunteer in this Saturday’s Watertown Helps Out event, hosted by Watertown Community Foundation. Watertown Helps Out!, the fifth annual Community Day of Service, kicks off Saturday, May 5, 8:30 a.m. at the Hosmer School Cafeteria. Join us on Saturday, May 5, 8:30-9:30 a.m. at the Hosmer School Cafeteria for light refreshments. Then get a T-shirt and head out to your chosen project! Projects can be anything from gardening and yard work, assembling raised beds, cleaning trash from bicycle paths and parks or washing furniture in a community center. Most run from 10:00 a.m. to mid-afternoon, and many can be done for as little as an hour.

Charity

Volunteers Sought for the Fifth Annual Watertown Helps Out Day

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Watertown Helps Out! The fifth annual Community Day of Service kicks off Saturday, May 5, 8:30 a.m. at the Hosmer School Cafeteria. Watertown Community Foundation provided the following announcement:

How do you give back to the community? Where are organizations that need your help? Are there opportunities for your family to serve? In 2014, the Watertown Community Foundation created a town wide day of service, Watertown Helps Out, to fill this need. This year, the fifth annual Watertown Helps Out day of community service runs Saturday, May 5. Starting at 8:30 a.m., join special guest volunteers State Sen. Will Brownsberger and State Rep. Jonathan Hecht as they help us kick off our Fifth Anniversary with light refreshments at the Hosmer School Cafeteria. It’s free, open to all, and there are family-friendly projects for volunteers of all ages.

Charity

Watertown Community Foundation Accepting Applications for Two Grant Programs

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The Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) announced two Spring 2018 grant programs to support local nonprofits, programs and projects. Approximately $55,000 will be distributed. One: WCF’s Program Grants will award grants designed to help organizations that serve Watertown develop new or continue existing programs with an educational focus (broadly defined). These are programs that operate outside of the Watertown’s public schools. Two: WCF’s Institutional Grants are designed to help institutions central to the Watertown community by providing funds to maintain critical programming and retain paid staff.